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5                                    preaching Means fighting

           Similarly, Çré Rämänujäcärya and his followers achieved eternal
           glory by  risking their  lives in  speaking frankly.  Such  genuine
                                                         *
           äcäryas not only accept honor and facilities or only talk “nicely”
           about Kåñëa but also are committed to uphold, against all
           opposition,  the  principles  of  their  sampradäya—which  entails
           speaking vigorously not merely within one’s own group, but also
           venturing out to deliver the message of Godhead to the misguided
           and often inimical populace.
           Çréla Prabhupäda’s own spiritual master was the legendarily
           staunch Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté, who preached so
           unreservedly that his enemies tried to kill him. He shocked the
           intellectuals  of  the  day  by  his  fierce,  totally  uncompromising
           condemnation of anything less than unmotivated devotional
           service to Kåñëa, who alone is to be recognized as the Supreme
           Personality of Godhead, the proper object of worship. Many
           responded by openly questioning his credentials as a sadhu. Çréla
           Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté replied through numerous speeches
           and articles, explaining why a true sadhu must speak strongly. He
           went on speaking contentiously throughout his life, not caring for
           outside opposition nor even his own disciples’ dissatisfaction. As
                                                                    †
           Çréla Prabhupäda recalled:
             When my guru-mahäräja was present, even big, big scholars were
             afraid to talk with his beginning students. My guru-mahäräja was
             called “living encyclopedia”—he could talk with anyone on any
             subject. He was so learned—so we should be like that as far as
             possible. No compromise—Ramakrishna, avatars, yogis, everyone was
             enemy to guru-mahäräja. He never compromised. Some godbrothers
           * For a summary of such pastimes of Rämänujäcärya and his followers,
           see “The Äcärya’s Unequalled and Unsurpassed Greatness,” in  Çré
           Bhaktisiddhänta Vaibhava (vol. 3, p. 53).
           †  Descriptions of Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté’s legendary staunchness
           appear throughout Çré Bhaktisiddhänta Vaibhava. For his stance on strong
           speaking, see “The Revolutionary Preacher of Truth,” vol. 1, p. 135.
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